Clock-case.



Patented Dec. 3|, 190|.

w.A K., MEN-Ns.

C L 0 G K AS E. (Appxiwton med may 1o, moo.)

3 Sheets-Sheet L (Nd Model.)

m m .M c. e D d e t n e .T- ,a P QW. Mx NA EC ma K0 .u .W um 9 8, 9 8 6 0. N

(Application led May 10, 1900*)y 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(llo Model.)

Ilm/ENTER ,M f2/m /jl WPI-NE 5E lu No. 689,999. v Patented' Dc., 3|, |901.

1w. K. MENNS.

C LOCK GASE. (Applicntiox-x ledvlllay 10, 1900.)

(No Modal.) V' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

INVENTEJR UNITED STATES PATENT CEFICE.

VALTER K.V MENNS, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES I'I. PEARSON, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS. v

CLOCK-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of kLetters Patent No. 689,899, dated December 31, 1901.

Application filed May I 1900.

'To all whom] it 11m/y concern: 5

Be it known that I, WALTER K. MENNS, a Subject of the Queen of Great Britain, resid- 5 ing in Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk an'd 5 State of Massachusettmhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clocks, .of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,isa specification; My invention relating to clocks, concerns to particularlyvconstructions of the case that entirely incloses the time and striking mechanism, but without'interfering with the utility' ofthe several time-indicating devices.

The bell and hammer of striking-clocks in common constructions when Within the case (usually in such arrangements of Wood) are only capable of making sounds that are au'di'- ble for very limited distances unless the cases be perforated to allow the sound egress, and 2o for this reason the bell is often put outside of the case and the stem of the actuatinglhammer passes from within through a slot in the case of the clock. When a bell is used Within such a case,but little effect is produced by sound conduction therethrough, as the point of attachment of such a bell has little-or no vibration, so the bell only affects the inclosed air. Closed cases of wood or other material that may be similarly joined and which are 3o liable to be checked or warped at the joints or elsewhere by changes of temperature or humidity or perforated byinsects are not dustproof, neither will such cases exclude noxious gases, nor the atmosphere at sea, so in any 3 5 event the delicate mechanism of the timepiece may be susceptible to injury.

The demands of the sea trade in particular for a closed clock-casing have been only imperfectly met, and asv many parts of the World 4o frequented by shipping teem with innumerable varieties of insect life, from the intrusions of which nothing accessible is secure,and as itis necessary to oil a clock, the additional incentive of food is offered these Voracious pests, which once inside the case may become entangled in the more delicate portions of the mechanism, and thereby, in addition to the lack of oil,injuriously affect the operation of the timepiece. To meet this matter, I make 5o my case of twoseparable pieces, the body of the case being a short cylinder with one inseriti No. 16.217. ci@ models tegral head, all made of metal or other like substance and having no openings except for the ad mittance of the movement, which opening is closed by a tightly-fitting bezel in which is sealed a glass face, so that the inclosed space maybe secure from extraneous injurious influences. The gong is made of Wire, so as to take but little space, and is fastened inside to the head of the body of the case,which 6o may be advantageously formed with a projecting flange for rigid attachment to a partition, and the head of the body is preferably undercut, so no part of the case may rest loosely against the partition to interrupt the vibrations. An essential idea is to hold some Sound-conducting portion ofthe case to which the gong is attached in close contact with a sonl orous support. This might be accomplished ifonlya projection from the case (which might 7o be just opposite the point of attachment of the gong) were to be held by some means in firm contact with the support. Upon a piece of Wire is positioned the metal head of the hammer, the face of which consists of a piece of leather inserted in a cavity in the head. Leather is so soft in its usual condition that but little volume ofv sound can be obtained from a hammer so faced, so I burn or char the eX- posed face, which hardens the leather, and 8o' with a hammerso faced sutiicient volume of sound is obtained and the timbre is of exceptionally desirable character. My invention h'ence comprises an impervious case that entirely incloses the timemovement and striking mechanism, although `such portions as necessary are accessible by meansof suitable joints of the parts for usual care, and to economize space, while still preserving the etiiciency of the device, a gong 9o made of stout wire isadopted, which has the ability to transmit its vibrations to its point of attachment to the case, and as the case is adapted to rest rigidly against a sonorous support the vibrations will thereby be augmented and widely diifused; and the invention further consists of the devices and their combinations, that will be more particularly described.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical sec- Ioo tion of a clock-case, showing a way of supporting a gong and movement. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of Fig. 1 on line 1/ y to show hammer and gong. Fig. 3 is a front View without the bezel. Fig. 4t is a side View of the case and its support.

The body @of the case is cylindrical, formed with flange b for securing it to a support, and it is preferably undercut at c, so the head or diaphragm d may freely vibrate. The support for the clock may be the partition u, secured to the iron shapes fu, and the clock is fastened to the partition, as by screws w, to insure firm contact of the clock and partition, so sound-vibrations originating within the clock-ease may be reinforced and diffused by the said partitions. AThe gong e is made from stout Wire of sufficient length to sound the pitch desired, coiled, so as to occupy but little space, and fastened in a block f, secured to the diaphragm. The position of the movement in the case is indicated by its frame of parallel plates, separated by studs and secured to each other by screws or otherwise, the rear plate g of the frame carrying the hammer h, which may be adjustably positioned on the wire t', so as to properly sound the gong. The frame of the movement is fastened in any usual manner to a diskj, attached to the case, as by screws 7c, threaded in bosses cast on the inside of the case, as appears in Figs. l and 2, and which serves to support the movement clear of the case, so as not to dampen any sonorous Vibrations thereof. Hands Z and m, moving over a dial n, attached tothe disk j, serve to visulxtending through ally indicate the time.

the dial n, so as to be easily accessible, are the squared arbors o and p of the time and striking winding-drums.

A A screw-bezel r is threaded to the body a, and a glass face s is permanently cemented to the 'inwardly-projecting flange t, so that when the threads have been waxed and the bezel screwed to the body the interior of the case is sealed hermetically.

Having described my invention, l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- In a clock, a metal diaphragm extending entirely across the back of the clockcase,`cy lindrical metal sides integral with the diaphragm so that there are neither holes nor joints in the case-body, a flange extending backward from the diaphragm and beyond the cylindrical sides; a gong screwed to the diaphragm; a movement-frame attached near the front of the case to bosses cast on the cylindrical sides; a hammer and means for actuating it carried by the movement-frame; a meta-1 bezel screw-threaded to the cylindrical sides and a glass face cemented tothe bezel, both bezel and glass beine,r Without perforations so as to hermetically inclose the movement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto subscribed my name.

WALTER K. MENNS.

Witnesses:

B. M. WETMORE, E. C. SWEET. 

